Colleagues honoured at 2026 ASSIST FM Awards
Colleagues at Knox Academy and Gullane Primary School have been recognised for their excellence at a national awards ceremony.
Maria Millar, Cook Supervisor at Knox Academy in Haddington, was named a finalist in the Scottish Local Authority Cook of the Year competition.
Maria, who has worked at Knox for 11 years, impressed the judges with her main course dish of chicken roulade served with seasonal vegetables.
(left to right) Les, Maria and Ted at the awards
At the same ceremony, Les Borzyszkowski and Ted Clelland received the Outstanding Contribution to Facilities Management (FM) Services Award in recognition of their roles as Senior Facilities Assistants at Gullane Primary School.
Maria, Les, and Ted attended a gala dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow last month, where the winners of the 2026 ASSIST FM Awards were announced.
Despite narrowly missing out on the top prize, Maria was delighted to be among the final three in the nationwide competition. She said: “I would like to thank all my colleagues for their support throughout the competition and on the gala night. It was a pleasure to represent Knox Academy and our council. I had a wonderful experience and am very grateful for the opportunity.”
Les has worked at Gullane Primary for 11 years, while Ted has been with the school for four years. Headteacher Steven Wood nominated the pair for the award, praising their “unmatched dedication, positivity, and professionalism.”
He added: “In my 27 years working in primary education, I have never encountered janitors as exceptional as Les and Ted. Their contribution goes far beyond the expected duties of the job and has a genuinely transformative impact on the daily lives of staff, pupils, and families.”
Speaking after receiving the award, Les said: “I am delighted to have won this alongside Ted. We were up against staff from 32 councils across Scotland, so it is a real honour to receive this recognition.”
Ted added: “Having worked in the building trade for many years before joining the council four years ago, I am absolutely delighted. I can hardly believe we have won.”
Vanessa Sanal, Service Manager with Facilities Management Services, said: “I am immensely proud of Ted, Les, and Maria for their outstanding achievements. This recognition is thoroughly deserved, and I thank them for representing our organisation.”